I could have done without Bill Clinton acting like he is James Brown .Faith Hill sucks and she sucked .Rev Al was his usual full of shit self . The best tribute was by Smokey Robinson short from the heart and loving . I suppose I have a hard time watching black folks pray and sing to a religion that kept their ancestors enslaved for centuries

Maybe it's tbe same idea as LGBTQ folks grabbing the hate words and owning them (eg: "queer"). They get the power that way. So African Americans do religion their style. Eg: When they sing a hymn you know it has been sung. Inside outside up down and back again. As for "the religion that enslaved them", it was some people of that faith. It's always the people. But it was also people of that faith who spoke up about the outrage, as well as the courageous oppressed people themselves who fought for their own rights.

I was hoping we could focus on the ones who have passed away this week and not get political. Be more LDS-related. Politics not so much.

I would have been thrilled to hear just one hymn in Mormon Church sung Aretha style, with dancing and clapping and a large dollop of zest. Instead, in Mormonism you get popcorn, groves and plygs. And that poor man of grief.

Droning style, not rejoicing. Has anybody ever clapped their hands to a song in Mormon Church? Or laughed long and loud? (Nope, strictly forbidden).

Lacklustre. Severe. Bereft of joy.

Ironically for me, my favourite LDS scripture was "Man is that he might have joy." (What about women though? Another question for a different day).

And I was the one the bishop singled out after a Christmas concert to say he had been watching me during the performance and thinking "she just doesn't get it".

Creepy.

Weird.

And yeah. I didn't.

But I never found out what it was he objected to in my countenance (lol) or demeanour, actions or lack thereof. Or ???

I remember a time in the Mormon church when it was permitted to have a black spiritual song sung by a soloist. Indeed, it was the same day in which I gave my only sacrament talk. In the next twenty plus years I was never invited to give another talk. I was not correctly citing Mo doctrine, though most who were present were with me.